Abstract:Aims Functional-structural plant modeling is concerned with the integration of architecture and resource allocation as aspects of plant function. It can depict the three-dimensional presentation of plants for use in analyzing individual tree growth and interactions between structural architecture and resource allocation in environments. Our objective was to parameterize and validate the func-tional-structural model GreenLab for young Pinus tabulaeformis to simulate its growth. Few studies have applied the GreenLab model to trees. Methods Destructive sampling was done to collect detailed data including structure and biomass measurements from 9 young P. tabulaeformis trees. We used the functional-structural GreenLab model that has been successfully calibrated for several crops. To extend its application in tree growth analysis, we validated the basic hypotheses of the model such as constant allometry rules and source-sink rela-tionships. Direct parameters were attained from the measurement data and hidden parameters of the model were calibrated using the generalized least squares method. Important findings Simulations of P. tabulaeformis growth based on the fitted parameters were rea-sonably accurate. The coefficients of determination of linear regression equations between observations and predictions ranged from 0.78 to 0.91. The topological code system was set up to analyze tree topo-logical structure for simulation. The calibrated parameters can be used to simulate and visualize 3D representation of pine trees. The methods for measuring tree topology and biomass and coding system can serve as a reference for the development of functional-structural models of coniferous trees.